Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Home Reverse Osmosis Systems - Are They Really Effective?

It's unbelievable how much misinformation is out there when it comes to water filters. So many people are led to believe that a home Reverse Osmosis system is exactly what they need to get pure, safe drinking water. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Fact is, a home reverse osmosis system can give your semi-pure water at best. Just think about the kinds of contaminants present in our tap water today. It's loaded with the normal dirt and grime, plus there are chemicals like chlorine and fluoride. Even pharmaceutical drugs can be found in this water.

INVERSE OSMOSIS

Add to this the heavy metals like lead and asbestos that get mixed in the water in the water supply system, and you get a dangerous mix of substances that can harm your health permanently.

Now, let's see what an RO system can do about these contaminants. The way these systems work is - there is a semi permeable membrane inside the filter through which water is forced to pass. The pores of the membrane do not allow contaminants to pass through. The only caveat is - the molecular size of the impurity should be greater than that of water.

So, theoretically, only water passes through this membrane and all contaminants are left behind.

The problem is - the molecular size of chemicals like chlorine or prescription drugs is smaller than that of water. So they also pass through undetected along with the water.

The other problem is of de-mineralization. Water in its natural state contains some minerals like calcium and magnesium which play an important role in our well being.

The molecules of these metals are big in size and are blocked by the membrane in your RO filter. Drinking this de-mineralized water can lead to health problems due to mineral deficiency in the long run.

Some home reverse osmosis systems try to remedy this by adding a separate unit to add minerals in the water after filtering, and then jack up the costs of the filter accordingly. It doesn't really make sense to first remove minerals from the water and then later add them - and that too at a higher cost!

Your best option is to use a filter that uses the advanced techniques of sub micron filtration, ion exchange, and carbon filtration. Together, these techniques remove the dirt, chemicals and heavy metals and give you really pure water - without de-mineralizing it.

So there you have it. A home reverse osmosis filter may not be the ideal choice for your health. Do some research and find out a better filter now.

Home Reverse Osmosis Systems - Are They Really Effective?

INVERSE OSMOSIS

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